Mapping Supply Chain Power in the Age of Economic Security: Introducing Supply Chain Dominance Index
Mapping Supply Chain Power in the Age of Economic Security: Introducing Supply Chain Dominance Index
Time & Date: 12:00 - 13:30 pm, January 15 (Wednesday)
Venue: TxC202
Language: English
Abstract
Economic security has become a pivotal concept in international politics, shaping not only economic interactions but also security and diplomatic ties among nations. Recognizing this importance, the Institute for Future Strategy at Seoul National University established an Economic Security Cluster in 2022 to devise future strategies. The cluster prioritizes analyzing economic relationships through an economic security lens, with its first-year focus on creating clear, measurable indices to assess economic security. The core concept identified for their initial research is "supply chain dominance," defined as a country's ability to influence global supply chains through major exports or protect its economy from supply chain disruptions. This concept stands out for its clarity and empirical measurability compared to other terms in economic security. The analysis of supply chain dominance is illustrated using Saudi Arabia and South Korea, with oil as a case study. Saudi Arabia's significant share of South Korea's oil imports (29.3% in 2021) demonstrates the former's export power and the latter's import vulnerability. Globally, Saudi Arabia's 12.2% share in oil production highlights its dominance over the oil supply chain. Such metrics provide actionable insights into the dynamics of dependency and influence in international trade. By leveraging UN COMTRADE data and focusing on empirical analysis, the Economic Security Cluster aims to deepen understanding and develop strategies to enhance economic resilience and security.
Biography
Byungkoo Kim is an Assistant Professor in Data Science at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, South Korea. His research expertise lies at the confluence of international political economy and quantitative methods. He is particularly interested in studying how global supply chains shape new dynamics in global trade and investment governance; economic policies and political institutions; and economic security.
His research also focuses on developing statistical models for networks and text data. In this line of research, he has ongoing projects that analyze citation networks and opinion texts of U.S. Appeals Courts and Supreme Courts.
He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science and an M.A. in Statistics from the University of Michigan.